Wrestlemania (slight return)

 It's FAR too hot today for wrestling but I've drawn some other people doing it so YOU DON'T HAVE TO! 

(this is originally a pen, ink & wash drawing from my sketchbook which has been coloured & adjusted in Photoshop but I'm never sure who is interested in this bit. I've been having a lot of fun drawing these & adding the special guests in the audience. There's more wrestling here if you want it grapple fans!)

The Wrestling

A friend mentioned the wrestling to me the other day - not ANY wrestling but the '70s 'World of Sport' style wrestling which ALWAYS uses the definite article. For some reason it was never just wrestling. It was THE wrestling!
Always reminds me of rainy Saturday afternoons as a child so these memories were whirling through my head when I drew it in my sketchbook. I *might* have taken a little bit of artistic licence (see who you can spot in the crowd!)

I've posted the original sketchbook piece below to give you a little peek behind the whole process. I drew it with a couple of Rotring art pens & a bit of strategic Sharpie. I've added some extra characters in the background digitally but most of the original pen work is still there then the colour was added in Photoshop.

(If you're fascinated by the whole era The Wrestling by Simon Garfield is really worth a read!)

'Angry Knickers Face'

My fantasy wrestling alter-ego inspired by a Twitter(?) post about a father getting his 4 year old daughter to name WWF wrestlers from their photographs. 'Angry Knickers Face' was my favourite (along with 'Big Potato')

You can't do that sort of thing any more!

A Compendium of Unwise Pursuits. 

NB Smoking & fighting is NOT big or clever kids!

(part of the 'Steve May rather hinders his career as a children's illustrator by drawing fighting & smoking' series - I may be a bit of an idiot! ; )